Don’t be embarrassed. We all do it.
We all tell little lies to ourselves.
Sometimes in the back of our mind we know we’re lying. Like how I tell myself, “Tomorrow, I’m going to get up early and workout!”
Sometimes we accept the lies as truth, without question, we don’t even realize we’re doing it. Maybe we do this cause we’re too busy to stop and evaluate the situation. Maybe because we are resistant to change – even when the change is positive.
Here are some of the common lies I see event teams tell themselves when they start thinking about working with a designer on their marketing materials.
- We can’t afford to hire a professional designer – I think it’s one of the biggest myths. If you don’t hire a designer you’re going to have to do the work yourself. Can you afford that? If the look of your event doesn’t inspire your audience you lose out on sales and reputation for next year. (Trust me, after spending three hours knee deep in a Google search trying to figure out some code you’ll probably be kicking yourself for not getting help from the beginning.)
- We don’t have enough work to justify hiring a designer. – You might be right. But you’re also thinking of a traditional 9-5 type of job. There are other ways of “hiring” a designer – like hiring someone part-time, using a freelancer, or partnering with a small creative services agency.
- My team and I can handle doing the event graphics ourselves, we don’t need a designer. – You guys might be totally capable of handling it. But should you? Don’t forget about all the other things that you need to do in order to plan and produce your event. Take a close look at your team’s schedule and hours. Focus on your core strengths. Your content, strategy, and planning need to be your top priority.
- My event is amazing, people will just line up – it doesn’t matter what the poster looks like. – Your event graphics need to be in alignment with your amazing event, otherwise it won’t attract the right people. And you need to think long-term. Think about the future of your event. Having a strong voice and look now will attract more sponsors next year, keep your event on people’s minds, and help grow your event.
- I have to work with a separate designer for everything: web, poster, flyers, social media, etc. It’s so annoying. – If you hire a separate designer for everything it will be more of a hassle. Look for an all-in-one designer (or integrated designer) that has experience with print and web. It will save you time and frustration over having to manage and art direct a bunch of separate designers.
- Okay, I lied, here’s one more: Artists are flaky and unorganized, I can’t rely on a designer to work on my time-sensitive event materials – we should do it in-house. – This is a stereotype that I come across a lot. Clients are always surprised at how much I pay attention to deadlines. If you are working with someone who frustrates you with their lack of respect for deadlines then you are probably not working with the right designer.
- Okay, one more, I swear this is it: I’ll do it next year when we have a bigger budget. – Having your events look professional can give you an extra edge to secure those rockstar sponsors you’ve been dreaming of. The more desirable your event looks, the more it will attract the right sponsors.
Working with a designer (that knows what they’re doing) isn’t just an expense, it’s an investment in your event. It can save you hours of frustration, build your reputation, and help you attract the right sponsors and attendees.
You might have to do a little digging to find the right person, but it will be worth it!
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